[FrostWynd]

It was about that time now.

The sun was only just beginning to make its way high up into the sky to blanket the murky and muddy swamps below with bright, warm light. And one resident hiding within the thick murky liquid would soon emerge to crawl up onto the bank. Still mostly covered in mud, he began making a slow trek up to a patch where the sun would be warmest for a little while.

[FrostWynd]

Why did they have to live out in a place like this anyway?!

And why did he have to be the one to get picked for this job?

These were just among the many questions running through the dragon's mind as he was making his way over to somewhere with a heavy pack strapped to his back. And the journey was going painfully slow, at the rate he was going trying to navigate the muddy waters. Wherever he looked, there was just nowhere for him to walk without having to tread in it.

[FrostWynd]

For a moment, he thought that maybe if he tried going over this way instead, then there'd be something to walk on. Then he wouldn't have to get all dirty.

But, nope. After walking all this way here, it was yet another dead end for him. "Uuuugh." Letting out a very irritated groan, he knew he was wasting too much time with this. If he didn't hurry it up, then they'd just get mad at him.

But he really didn't want to have to get dirty, just so he could deliver some package that they could have gotten themselves.

[FrostWynd]

He did have to wait a while for the sun to thoroughly warm up his body. Before he could fully wake up and finally start moving again for today. In all the time it took to achieve this, the mud would dry up and crack as he started standing and extending his wings. It would all fall off in large patches to show off his dull green scales, which shone under the light.

Now warmed up, it was about time for him to go hunt...

So with a lunge, he slipped right into the murky waters to satisfy his growing hunger.

[FrostWynd]

After pacing around on dry clean land, Tufaha would finally give up on trying to find another way around. There clearly wasn't one, as far as he had seen.

"Alright, fine. Here I go then..." He muttered, while staring down at the mud just inches from him. With one deep breath, he lifted one paw to reach down for it. Very... slowly.

Closer. Closer. His toes were just about to touch the surface of the water.

"NOPE!" He would suddenly shout once he changed his mind. He backed away from it and started pacing around again... "I can't even see the bottom! How do I know it won't just suck me into its muddy clutches completely once I go in?!"

He needed something first. Like... a stick! Yes! With that, maybe he could find out just how deep it really is around here.

[FrostWynd]

The green reptile had lazily made his way to one of his favorite spots, where he knew he could likely find some food. Being wide awake now, he could easily get there in no time at all. But he knew better than to waste precious energy like that, and stuck to just cruising along with the flow of the current to his destination.

Haste would only make waste. Especially when one might scare off prey by being careless.

By the time he finally arrived, he would be met with surprise when he emerged. Only part of his head breaking the surface of the water to check things out before he actually left his hiding spot to hunt.

For his red eyes had spotted another dragon roaming around his hunting ground.

[FrostWynd]

"Alright... let's see what we've got around here." That other dragon would continue to mutter things to himself as he walked away from the water to start rummaging around in the foliage to find something suitable.

For a moment he would even disappear into a really thick patch of the stuff, before coming right out with something between his claws. "AHA! Got you!" Now victorious in his search for the perfect stick, he'd start making his way over to the water's edge again.

[FrostWynd]

While his back was turned, the dragon in the water would take advantage of the other's vulnerability. For while the other one wasn't looking, he was taking up position to ambush him.

Nobody was going to dare trying to steal anything from him under his nose, not on his watch.

The opportunity was just too perfect, as he was easily able to sneak around to a good spot for attacking. All he had to do now was wait for the right moment. He could hear the other dragon talking to himself when they came back, and would peer out again to watch them start to get closer to the bank.

Waiting just a bit longer...

And with a sudden explosion of strength, he burst right out of the water and snapped out with his teeth to catch anything from the other dragon that came into contact.

[FrostWynd]

Tufaha was just about to take the stick he found and put it into the water to measure the depth.

Then things suddenly spun out of his control as something green jumped out at him from the water. Getting splashed by like half the river as it came out to scare the daylights out of him. He screamed loudly in that moment, and fell backwards to get away from it. Instinctively swinging the stick out at whatever that thing was as he saw the flash of teeth coming right for him.

There was no time to think of anything else. He needed to protect himself somehow.

[FrostWynd]

The attacker didn't think he'd use a stick like that to defend himself.

With a resounding crack, it made contact with the side of his head and broke in half. Which resulted in shooting pain as things got rattled around in his skull, and he awkwardly fell to the side of Tufaha. But that wouldn't keep him down for long.

Trying to shake it off quickly, he stumbled away from that other dragon to get into a defensive position. Glaring at him with intense hostility, he flared the crests on the back of his head and hissed at him. "You'll pay for that, trespasser."